Friday, January 20, 2023

It's all in how you look at things

 


I have been absent for some time and I really do not have an excuse for not writing.  Writing is cathartic. It is a means to record life events that might otherwise be forgotten over time.  When I started blogging, it was to document my journey of faith as well as share with distant family and friends about what exciting or lackluster things had transpired in my life.

Journaling about the ups and downs, the twists and turns, of life is a great exercise for anyone! Being able to revisit entries can even prove to be comical or prophetic.  I used to write in a diary and found an old one when cleaning out my old house years ago.  Reading my entries stirred up memories of people, places, and activities that had long been stored deep in memory.  I laughed, cried, and laughed more.  The fact is I relived the memory as if it had just happened.  I was filled with joy - and who does not want to feel joy?

Another benefit of writing, at least for me, is that I can work through what changes life throws at me.  That brings me to the topic of this entry: it's all in how you look at things.  

Change, by definition, is to make someone or something different; to alter or modify.  It also means to replace something of the same kind with a new or better substitute.  Change, as a thing (noun), is the act of making or becoming different.  Reader, I am not sure about you, but the idea of change can invoke fear or it can ignite a fire of creativity within.  Whether you are on the line between fear and inspiration, both are on points of perspective - or a position of viewing the situation before you with objectivity.

Personally, I look at change as part of life.  It occurs behind the scenes and it occurs front and center.  When we are born, change is happening 24/7/365 as we grow and learn.  When we embark on life's journey apart from the support of parents, change is a constant as we navigate the endless choices we are presented with (jobs, education, relationships, etc.).  Some changes are not pleasant, and I have gone through several of those over my life, but others are so unexpectedly wonderful.  Again, it is all in how you or I look at things, especially when change happens.

Recently someone accused me of hating change.  First of all, hate is a very strong word that I strive to eliminate from my vocabulary and heart.  I am cautiously optimistic when it comes to change initiated by others that directly impacts my day to day, but I do not hate change.  As I stated earlier, change is a part of life and I can either choose to resist it or embrace it.  Resistance is futile and will not yield the best objective perception of how to adjust or modify my day to day routines.  However, embracing change sets me in a position of creativity on how to modify my routines in a more malleable way to that change.

Change fosters growth.  Growth leads to greater potential being realized.  Reaching potential leads to a satisfied feeling.  Being satisfied leads to contentment.  Contentment leads to feeling joy.  And joy is what we all truly desire at the end of the day.

Be blessed & be a blessing.